The discipline of mixed martial arts (MMA) is making a name for itself here in The Bahamas, and the Beast Mode Fight Team is leading the charge.
Featuring the first Bahamian female MMA fighter ever, a three-member team traveled to Palm Bay, Fla. this past weekend and secured three victories at the Real Cage Fights 27 event. Pierre "Snipa" Simmons, Kenny Neymour and female athlete Jasmine Wilchcombe were all victorious in their matches at the Space Coast Harley-Davidson Center on Saturday night. Simmons, who just turned 32 yesterday, won by decision over Devein Paulk, Neymour scored a technical knockout (TKO) over Anthony George, and Wilchcombe prevailed due to an injury sustained by her opponent. Wilchcombe's opponent Laura Johnson suffered a knee injury during a takedown executed by Wilchcombe, and unfortunately was unable to continue. The referee was forced to stop the fight, calling it in Wilchcombe's favor.
"Jasmine made history last night as the first Bahamian female MMA cage fighter, but she will not be the last," said team head coach Dr. Kent Bazard yesterday. "It was a great experience for all of the fighters. Congratulations to all of them. We are ecstatic that all of our fighters were able to pull off wins. Each fighter showed great composure after getting into trouble early. They kept calm, listened to the advice from the corners and executed as they were told.
The crowd was very friendly. They made us feel like stars as they shook our hands and took photos with us as we left the cage after each fight.
"It's great exposure for us because our top tier fighters are looking to go pro in the next few months, and the more fights we get in, the better. We are on our way to producing the first Bahamian MMA fighter trained fully and fighting out of The Bahamas," added Bazard.
The first athlete to see action for The Bahamas on Saturday night was Simmons. He was taking on a fighter who claimed to have over 100 fights. According to reports, Simmons was caught with an overhand right early in the first round, but responded with an onslaught. Midway through the second round, he began to dominate and pulled off a convincing three-round win.
Neymour, 28, is known for his speed. According to reports, he was caught with a blazing spinning backfist in the first round, but recovered quickly. Neymour finished off his opponent via TKO in the second round.
In what turned out to be a well-fought match, Wilchcombe more than held her own against Johnson. Both ladies were very technical. Johnson almost caught Wilchcombe in a guillotine choke in the first round, but Wilchcombe fought it off, and then demonstrated her own power with a vicious takedown. The fight was stopped due to an injury sustained by Johnson, and 22-year-old Wilchcombe was declared the winner. She became the first Bahamian female MMA fighter in history.
"We're extremely proud of the Beast Mode Fight Team for pulling out three wins," said Bazard. "They were so impressive whereas the promoters have invited us to return with more fighters, and we were invited to fight at other promotions by managers that were present."
Bazard said that they most will likely fight again at an event in Tampa, Fla., next month and then return to the Hard Rock Cafe in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in January. Sandwiched in between the two is a show in Tallahassee, Fla., on November 15.
Bazard and the Beast Mode Fight Team is pleading for financial assistance from the government, corporate Bahamas and the general public, as they continue to represent The Bahamas at top level MMA events.

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